The present invention is for a multiple display monitor system in which a single pointing device, such as a light pen, mouse, track ball or joy stick is operable on an array of monitors.
This invention stems from work done on a Parts Management System that required a hardware configuration that interfaced a videodisc player under interactive control of a microcomputer and made use of dual display monitors. The systems primary functioning was controlled by the system's operators use of a light pen to "point" to images, portions of images, icons and text phrases displayed on the monitors. The most desirable approach to using the light pen with the system's dual monitors was to have a single light pen operable on both display devices. The arrangement of hardware and software to effect the functioning of the light pen on both monitors was not available or known and was discovered for this system application.
Prior art Patents which utilized light pens can be seen in the Monteath, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,684 and in the Brown, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,479. The Monteath Patent specifically adapted to read bar codes as well as display data, while the Brown Patent is a video display system using a light pen in connection with a graphics generator for converting coded information to analogue, stroke or painted display information. In the Holland U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,403, a signal generator is used for interfacing digital computers to a plurality of peripheral devices, while in the Patent to Shimizu U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,956 shows an image information registering and retrieval system. The Kato U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,395 shows a picture image filing apparatus for storing images in a file management memory and selecting the image signals therefrom. In the Spring 1986 issue of Logistics Spectrum, the Journal of the Society of Logistics Engineers, Volume 20, Issue 1, Pages 23 through 27, a precursor to the present system and describes the command console of the interactive videodisc logistic support system having a computer data subsystem and an interactive videodisc subsystem.